[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 90 (Tuesday, May 12, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22175-22176]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-11040]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


North Bay Water Recycling Program (formerly North San Pablo Bay 
Restoration and Reuse Project), California

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) and notice of public 
hearings.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), as the National 
Environmental Policy Act Federal lead agency, and the Sonoma County 
Water Agency, acting as administrator for the North Bay Water Reuse 
Authority (NBWRA) and the California Environmental Quality Act State 
lead agency, have made available for public review and comment the 
North Bay Water Recycling Program Draft EIS/EIR. The purpose of the 
project is to create a regional wastewater reuse project to provide 
recycled water for agricultural, urban, and environmental uses as an 
alternative to discharging treated wastewater to San Pablo Bay. In this 
way, water demand issues and wastewater discharge issues of the region 
can be addressed in an integrated and synergistic manner. Three public 
hearings will be held to receive comments from individuals and 
organizations on the Draft EIS/EIR.

DATES: Three public hearings have been scheduled to receive oral or 
written comments regarding environmental effects:
     June 9, 2009, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Novato, CA.
     June 10, 2009, 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Sonoma, CA.
     June 11, 2009, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Napa, CA.
    A 1-hour open house to view project information and interact with 
the project team will precede the public hearings.
    The Draft EIS/EIR will be available for a 60-day public review 
period. Comments are due by July 13, 2009.

ADDRESSES: The public hearings will be held at the following locations:
     Novato at Margaret Todd Senior Center, 1560 Hill Road.
     Sonoma at Sonoma Community Center, 276 East Napa Street.
     Napa at Napa Elks Lodge, 2840 Soscol Avenue.
    Written comments on the Draft EIS/EIR should be sent to Mr. Marc 
Bautista, Sonoma County Water Agency, 404 Aviation Boulevard, Santa 
Rosa, CA

[[Page 22176]]

95403; or e-mailed to [email protected].
    Copies of the Draft EIS/EIR may be requested from Mr. Marc 
Bautista, by writing to the Sonoma County Water Agency (SCWA), P.O. Box 
11628, Santa Rosa, CA 95406; by calling 707-547-1998; or by e-mailing 
[email protected].
    The Draft EIS/EIR is also accessible from the following Web site: 
http://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_projdetails.cfm?Project_ID=2157.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Marc Bautista, 707-547-1998; 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Draft EIS/EIR documents the direct, 
indirect, and cumulative effects to the physical, biological, and 
socioeconomic environment that may result from North Bay Recycled Water 
Program.
    The NBWRA, comprised of four wastewater utilities and one water 
agency in the North San Pablo Bay region of California, plans to expand 
the use of recycled water and reduce discharge into San Pablo Bay with 
this long-term inter-agency project. The area encompasses 318 square 
miles of land in Marin, Sonoma, and Napa Counties. Participants include 
Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District (LGVSD), Novato Sanitary District 
(Novato SD), Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District (SVCSD), and Napa 
Sanitation District (Napa SD). In addition, North Marin Water District 
and the County of Napa are participating financially and providing 
support. Sonoma County Water Agency is acting as project administrator, 
and will be the CEQA Lead Agency. Reclamation is the Federal lead 
agency for NEPA because the Proposed Action may be partially federally 
funded under Title XVI of Public Law 102-575, as amended, which 
provides a mechanism for Federal participation and cost sharing in 
approved water reuse projects.
    The North San Pablo Bay regions of Sonoma, Marin and Napa Counties 
are facing long-term water supply shortfalls. Surface and groundwater 
supplies within these areas are limited, and some local groundwater 
basins are overpumped, with detrimental effects on water levels and 
water quality. Recycled water can augment local water supplies on a 
regional basis, provide water that meets agricultural and municipal 
nonpotable quality needs, and provide increased reliability.
    Additionally, reliable water supply is needed in order to continue 
the restoration of tidal wetlands in San Pablo Bay that contain habitat 
for endangered and threatened species. Wastewater treatment agencies 
also face strict regulatory limits on the timing and quality of the 
treated wastewater they can discharge to San Pablo Bay, as well as the 
rivers and streams that flow to it. By treating wastewater to the 
stricter regulatory levels required for reuse, the agencies can recycle 
the water productively to address water supply needs and reduce the 
amount released to San Pablo Bay and its tributaries.
    The project would provide recycled water for agricultural, urban, 
and environmental uses thereby reducing reliance on local and imported 
surface water and groundwater supplies and reducing the amount of 
treated effluent releases to San Pablo Bay and its tributaries. Some of 
the project benefits include reduction of wastewater discharge to 
regional waterways and the resulting environmental benefit to fish and 
wildlife.
    NBWRA has developed a regional program for expanding cooperative 
water reuse within the North San Pablo Bay region. The Proposed Action 
consists of distribution facilities, treatment capacity improvements, 
and storage to make between 17,000 and 25,000 acre-feet per year of 
recycled water available for environmental, agricultural, and municipal 
reuse, consistent with the California Code of Regulations, Title 22, 
pertaining to the use of tertiary-treated recycled water. At this time, 
there are no known or possible Indian trust assets or environmental 
justice issues associated with the Proposed Action.

Special Assistance for Public Meetings

    If special assistance is required to participate in the public 
meetings, please contact David White at 916-978- 5074, TDD 916-978-
5608, or via e-mail at [email protected]. Please notify Mr. White as 
far in advance as possible to enable Reclamation to secure the needed 
services. If a request cannot be honored, the requestor will be 
notified. A telephone device for the hearing impaired (TDD) is 
available at 916-978-5608.

Public Disclosure

    Before including your name, address, phone number, e-mail address, 
or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should 
be aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying 
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can 
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.

    Dated: April 1, 2009.
Richard M. Johnson,
Acting Regional Director, Mid-Pacific Region.
[FR Doc. E9-11040 Filed 5-11-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MN-P